Solar flair
The State Opera’s production of Gilbert and Sullivan’s popular operetta is a sparkling version that verges on anime.
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s 1787 opera was based on the legendary figure Don Juan, a rake and a seducer of women, but Mozart makes him a real villain. Set at a wedding, in Tuscany, the lead’s character is quickly shown to be charming, controlling and without conscience. Seducing anything in a skirt and finally killing the father of one of his conquests.
Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas, based on the Greek legend, is a short, challenging piece, with an incomplete score. Composed in the 17th century, it is regarded as the oldest opera in English.
This world premiere performance is a charming, accessible, entertaining and cleverly educational show which deserves to be seen, heard and enjoyed by children and their carers for many years to come.
Mistaken identity, good-natured deception, and tongue in cheek humour abound when friends decide to test their fiancés’ fidelities.